Tensile Roofing Structure Manufacturer
Large clear-span membrane roofs — over a courtyard, a sports hall, a stadium bowl, an industrial yard or a store shed — a tensioned architectural fabric on a steel frame that spans further, weighs less and goes up faster than a metal-deck or concrete roof. Built by Ekra Decor since 1998.
- Column-free spans of 30 m and beyond
- A fraction of the weight of a metal or concrete roof
- Diffused daylight, reflected solar heat
- Engineered to IS 875, IS 800 & IS 456
Engineering Trusted by India’s Leading Names
28+ years delivering tensile structures for corporate campuses, industrial groups, and institutional developments — built with fabric technology from the world’s leading membrane manufacturers.
TATA Motors
L&T
Reliance
Adani
Mahindra
Godrej
DLF
ITC Ltd
Maruti Suzuki
GMR Group
JSW Steel
Prestige Group
Sobha
Siemens
Tata Chemicals
Tata Tele Business Services
Power Grid Corporation
Emaar MGF
National Law University Delhi
UPES Dehradun
Vasant Valley School
Aditya Birla Group
Amity University
Vikram Solar
Tractors India
Mazda Colours
Millennium Structurals
Sehwag International School
BSBK Pvt. Ltd.
17 Miles Hotel
Rich Harvest School
The Imperial New Delhi
Moore Constructions
Mehra Construction
Ramprastha
Minda NexGenTech (UNO Minda)
Yashmay Public School
Gyan Mandir Foundation
Omega Developers
SPEC
Serge Ferrari
Mehler
Heytex
Versaid
PATI
When tensile roofing beats concrete or metal deck
Tensile roofing makes sense when you need to cover a large area with as few columns as possible, and you do not need a fully conditioned thermal envelope. Over that kind of space it is lighter, quicker and often cheaper than an RCC slab or a metal-deck roof on trusses. The other roof this gets compared with is a concrete slab: tensile vs RCC.
The weight argument
A membrane roof weighs roughly 1 to 2 kg per square metre. Profiled metal sheeting on purlins is 10 to 25 kg/m2 before you add trusses; an RCC roof is an order of magnitude more. Less roof weight means smaller beams and columns, smaller footings, and less steel to fabricate and lift — savings that compound as the span grows.
Column-free span
Because the membrane carries load in pure tension and the compression is pushed out to a few masts or arches at the perimeter, clear spans of 30 metres and well beyond are routine. Matching that with conventional construction usually means deep transfer trusses and a much heavier frame.
Programme
The steel and the membrane are fabricated off-site while the foundations are being cast. Erection is a lift-and-tension operation rather than weeks of decking and waterproofing, so the roof is weathertight sooner.
Where conventional roofing still wins
Short spans, roofs that carry heavy point loads or overhead cranes, buildings that need full insulation and airtightness, and anywhere a flat usable roof surface is required. Tensile roofing is a specialist tool for large, lightly-serviced clear spans — courts, assembly areas, atria, warehousing, stadium and platform cover.
See the cost guide for ranges, auditorium and stadium roofs for large-span examples, and fabric buildings for full enclosures. Send your plan for a span study.
Tensile roofing forms
A tensile roof is chosen for the span. It replaces a heavy roof over a wide, column-free area — a hall, a court, a yard, a court. See also tensile fabric structures.
Ridge-and-valley
Alternating high ridge and low valley cables span a wide roof; the valleys are the drainage lines. For stadiums, halls and large yards.
Barrel vault
A continuous arched membrane, repeated bay by bay — for a long shed, a walkway or a pool.
Radial / conical
The membrane drawn to a central ring — for a round court or an atrium.
Repeating bay grid
Identical form-found bays over a regular column grid — for a very large covered area.
This page covers the topic in brief. For the full technical reference — how tensile structures work, all the types, form-finding, membrane materials, design codes and construction process — see the tensile structure guide.
What is specified
A tensile roof is engineered from the clear span outward. There is no fixed spec — form, membrane and steel are recommended after the loads are known.
| Element | Options |
|---|---|
| Structure | Ridge-and-valley, barrel vault, radial, or a repeating bay grid |
| Clear span | The full width of the space, column-free; spans of 30 m and beyond are routine |
| Membrane | PVC or PVDF for most work; PTFE-coated glass where a non-combustible A-class reaction or permanence applies |
| Frame | Structural steel sized for the span and the wind, hot-dip galvanised |
| Drainage | To valley and eaves lines sized to the local rainfall, with overflow routes |
| Daylight | A translucent membrane gives even, glare-free daylight and cuts the daytime lighting load |
| Foundations | Designed to IS 456 for the uplift and overturning of a large light roof |
| Scope | Survey, 3D design, fabrication, installation and tensioning — one in-house team |
Membrane figures — life, translucency, fire class — are manufacturer values for the material type; see the membrane materials page.
Membrane options
Tensile roofs use PVC or PVDF for most work; PTFE-coated glass is chosen for a permanent civic roof or where a non-combustible A-class fire reaction is required.
PVC-coated polyester
The most economical choice and the widest colour range; blocks the rain, hail and almost all UV. PVC fabric →
PVDF-lacquered PVC
The same base with a tougher top-coat that stays cleaner under dust and pollution. PVDF fabric →
PTFE-coated glass
Non-combustible and near self-cleaning, with the longest service life. PTFE fabric →
A full comparison of the fabrics — translucency, fire class, typical life — is on the membrane materials page.
How it is engineered and built
The governing load
A tensile structure weighs almost nothing, so wind uplift is the governing load. The membrane is form-found into double curvature so it stays taut, and the frame and foundations are sized for the site’s design wind pressure under IS 875 Part 3.
Steel & foundations to code
The frame is designed to IS 800 and the footings to IS 456, checked for uplift and overturning. Galvanising to IS 4759 / IS 2629 for corrosion protection.
Built off-site, raised fast
Steel is cut, welded and galvanised in the workshop and the membrane is cut and welded into panels, while the footings are cast on site. On-site work is then quick and low-disruption.
One accountable team
Survey, 3D design, fabrication, installation and tensioning are all Ekra Decor’s own team, with a handover pack of drawings, load report, stability certificate and material certificates.
What drives the cost
Cost is not a fixed rate per square foot — two structures of the same size can differ widely. The main factors:
Span is the biggest cost driver on a roof. Send the area and the span for a design direction and an itemised quote; see the cost guide.
Looking after the structure
- Cleaning — a periodic wash; PVDF and PTFE surfaces largely self-clean in rain.
- Membrane & seams — check for abrasion, coating wear and seam lifting at the corners.
- Cable tension — a first re-tension after the initial season, then a periodic check.
- Steel & connections — inspect the galvanising and the connections at ground level.
- Drainage — clear the gutters, valleys and outlets before the monsoon.
Tensile roofs we’ve built
Each project is documented with site photographs and recorded scope.
Retail · Courtyard roofVasant Square MallVasant Kunj, New Delhi
Industrial · Single-span roofDesai ConstructionValsad, Gujarat
Transit · Walkway canopyIGI Airport, Terminal 2New Delhi
Industrial · Store-shed roofVikram SolarKolkata, West Bengal
Public · Courtyard shadeHazratbal DargahSrinagar, J&K
Public · Atrium skylightsGuwahati Tensile StructureGuwahati, Assam
Tensile roofing structure FAQ
The questions people ask about a tensile roof.
A roof that carries its load in a tensioned membrane rather than in beams and slabs. A coated architectural fabric is stretched over a steel frame and pre-stressed, so it can span a wide, column-free area at a fraction of the weight of a metal or concrete roof.
Column-free spans of 30 m and well beyond are routine — which is why a tensile roof is the economical choice over a hall, a court, a stadium bowl or a large yard.
Yes, with a coated architectural membrane (PVC, PVDF or PTFE). Watertightness also depends on the seams, the edge details and a drainage design with no flat spots.
It is far lighter, spans further, passes diffused daylight and goes up faster. It is not an insulated floor or a walkable surface. See the comparison in the tensile vs alternatives page.
PVC or PVDF for most projects; PTFE-coated glass for a permanent civic roof or where a non-combustible A-class fire reaction is required.
There is no fixed rate. Span is the biggest driver, then height, the membrane grade and the wind zone. Send the area and span for an itemised quote.
Yes — over a courtyard, a light well or an open yard, tied into the surrounding structure, which is checked for the added load and uplift.
Send us the area and the span
You get a roof form, a span assessment and an itemised quote.
Let’s Build Your Structure
Speak directly with our structural engineering team to discuss your project dimensions, material options, or to schedule a free on-site technical inspection across India.
Direct Phone & WhatsApp Hotlines
+91 98102 37952 (Delhi HQ) / +91 93159 45187 (Bangalore) / +91 82879 92289 (Engineering)
Official Email Address
Delhi Factory & Administrative HQ
No. 367 Badam Singh Market, Rangpuri, Near Shiv Murti, NH-8, New Delhi 110037
Bangalore Regional Office
93/5, Kada Agrahara Village, Dodda Gubbi Post, Bangalore, Karnataka - 560077, India
Chattarpur Office
House No. 488, 3rd Floor, Khasra No. 60, 100 Futa Road, Opposite Delhi Jal Board, Near Diwan Bajaj Showroom, Chattarpur Pahari, New Delhi - 110074, India
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